Body Weight Training J.C. Santana
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| The bodyweight training system was born out of necessity. I was invited to train the Spanish River
wrestlers back in 2001. When I got there in November the wrestling
coach told me I had one month to show him who his varsity and junior
varsity squads really were. When I asked about what resource were
available he replied, "We have no money, no space, no equipment, and
very little time." Needless to say, it was not the most ideal
situation, but I knew that many coaches throughout that high school
district were in the same position. Therefore, the team that could
improvise and make it happen would have an advantage. Having only
bodies in an 800 square foot room, our bodyweight training system was
born. |
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School was over at 3:00pm and I
had to be back to IHP by 4:00 pm, so I had about 30-40 minutes at the
beginning of practice to train about 40 wrestlers. Against traditional
practice we decided to do the strength and conditioning before
practice. I figured tired wrestlers do one of two things; do not listen
and do not put a good effort when they are tired, or learn to listen
and put a great effort when they are tired. Obviously, I hoped for the
latter. I went home and looked at what I wanted to accomplish; not only
inside the month of November, but also through the state championships
in late February early March. The need analysis was as follows:
- Wrestlers need that jungle strength - not weightlifting strength
- Wrestlers need to drop weight - not gain
- Wrestlers need to go like hell for 6 minutes, not at sub-maximal effort over longer periods!
- Wrestlers
need to be proficient with isometric as well as explosive muscle
contractions, not just controlled, full range of motion contractions.
Knowing these four simple facts allowed me to develop a weekly plan.
This plan needed to deliver wrestling strength, without putting on
size. It also needed to develop power, as well as power endurance.
Finally, the program had to develop athleticism and interval cardio. SO
this is the blueprint we came up with:
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MONDAY - Indoors
Primary focus on lower body metabolic training and a secondary focus on strength.
Agilities - tumbling (e.g. cartwheels, round-offs, forward and backward rolls)
Neck - bridging (e.g. front, side and back)
Metabolic lower body - Power Endurance leg protocol (e.g. leg cranks)
Total body strength - Total body lift (e.g. suplex lift)
Lower body strength - Lower body lift (e.g. partner squat)
Upper body pushing strength - Upper body push (e.g. partner push-up)
Upper body pulling strength - Upper body pull (e.g. partner pulls)
Core flexor strength - Core flexion exercise (e.g. partner crunch)
Core extensor strength - Core extension exercise (e.g. partner extension) |
TUESDAY - Indoors
Primary focus on power and a secondary focus on strength.
Agilities - tumbling (e.g. cartwheels, round-offs, forward and backward rolls)
Neck - Partner neck (e.g. partner ¾ Nelson drill)
Total body power - Total body explosive exercise (e.g. squat thrust and jump)
Lower body power - Lower body explosive exercise (e.g. partner hurdles)
Upper body pushing power - Upper body explosive push (e.g. explosive push-up)
Total body strength - Total body lift (e.g. partner deadlift)
Upper body pushing strength - Upper body pull (e.g. partner pulls)
Core flexor strength - Core flexion exercise (e.g. partner crunch)
Core extensor strength - Core extension exercise (e.g. partner extension) |
WEDNESDAY - Outdoors
Primary focus on metabolic runs with a secondary focus on strength.
Biomotor skill - 25 yard skills (skipping and shuffling)
Metabolic runs - 400 yards or 300 yards shuttles
Total body strength - Total body lift (e.g. partner deadlift)
Total body strength - Total body lift (e.g. suplex lift)
Lower body strength - Lower body lift (e.g. partner hurdles)
Upper body pulling strength - Upper body pull (e.g. partner pulls)
Upper body pulling strength - Upper body pull (e.g. Partner Iso curls)
Core flexor strength - Core flexion exercise (e.g. partner crunch)
Core extensor strength - Core extension exercise (e.g. partner extension)
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THURSDAY - Indoors
Equal focus on metabolic, power and strength training. A
gilities -Tumbling (e.g. cartwheels, round-offs, forward and backward rolls)
Neck - Bridging (e.g. front, side and back)
Metabolic lower body - Power endurance leg protocol (e.g. leg cranks)
Total body strength - Total body lift (e.g. suplex lift)
Total body strength - Total body lift (e.g. partner get up)
Lower body strength - Lower body lift (e.g. partner squat)
Total body power - Total explosive exercise (e.g. high suplex pull)
Upper body pulling power - Upper body explosive pull (e.g. alternating partner pulls)
Core flexor strength - Core flexion exercise (e.g. V-ups)
Core extensor strength - Core extension exercise (e.g. supermans) |
FRIDAY - Outdoors
Primary focus on power with a secondary focus on metabolic runs.
Biomotor skill - 25 yard skills (skipping and shuffling)
Total body power - Total body explosive exercise (e.g. squat thrust and jump)
Lower body power - Lower body explosive exercise (e.g. partner hurdles)
Upper body pushing power - Upper body explosive push (e.g. explosive push-up)
Total body strength - Total body lift (e.g. partner deadlift)
Upper body pulling strength - Upper body pull (e.g. Partner Iso curls)
Core flexor strength - Core flexion exercise (e.g. partner kneetucks)
Core extensor strength - Core extension exercise (e.g. partner reverse extension)
Metabolic runs - 400 yards or 300 yards shuttles |
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This program was periodized and progressed over four months. We started
with simple bodyweight exercise and progressed to partner exercises. We
started with 1-2 sets for 5 reps and ended with 3-4 sets of 5-10 reps,
depending on the exercise and the weight class of the wrestler. |
| The results were nothing short
of phenomenal. Conditioning before practice actually helped us; the
kids became accustomed to listening when they were tired. Their work
capacity went through the roof, and we had many pins in the 3rd period,
often times when we were down; we just wore better wrestlers down. Spanish River
went from a losing record to a 14-3 record, in four years. On our
fourth year, we won districts, placed second in the regional's, and
place 3 out of 5 wrestlers at the state championships. Considering that
the school is not a powerhouse and has no feeder programs, their
accomplishment is significant and I was certainly proud of the coaches
and athletes. |
| All of the exercises we used, as
well as samples of the programs can be found in our Essence of
Bodyweight Training DVDs and Companion Guide. |
| Until next time, |
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| JC Santana |
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